Panel mounting apparatus

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING A REMOVABLE PANEL COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF FRAME MEMBERS FORMING THE SIDES OF THE FRAME AND CONNECTED TOGETHER AT THE CORNERS OF THE FRAME. EACH FRAME MEMBER HAS A MAIN BODY AND A FLANGE EXTENDING FROM THE INNER SIDE OF THE MAIN BODY TO PROVIDE A SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR A SIDE EDGE OF THE PANEL. THERE IS A SLOT IN THE MAIN BODY OF EACH FRAME MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE WALLS EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO AND FROM ITS INNER TO ITS OUTER PORTION IN DIRECTION AWAY FROM SUPPORTING SURFACE. EACH OF A PLURALITY OF BARS EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THE FRAME MEMBERS HAS OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS SLIDABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SLOT FOR INSERTION THEREIN AND ANOTHER SIDE WALL EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS FOR BEARING ON AND URGING THE SIDE EDGE OF THE PANEL AGAINST THE SUPPORTING SURFACE OF THE FRAME MEMBER.

Sept. 21, 1971 M E 3,606,717

PANEL MOUNTING APPARATUS Filed Aprii 10, 1969 3 Shcets-Sheqt 1 Buell Moore INVENTOR AT TOR NE YS Sept. 21, 1971 M E 7 3,606,717

PANEL MOUNTING APPARATUS Filed April 10, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

r a ,1lli Buell Moore 60 INVENTOR 55 ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1971 Filed April 10, 1969 B. MOORE 3,606,711

PANEL MOUNTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 68 66 Buell Moore 55 INVENTOR I I v 50 BY $1M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,695,717 Patented Sept. 21, 1971 3,606,717 PANEL MOUNTING APPARATUS Buell Moore, Houston, Tex., assignor to Esquire, Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed Apr. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 815,167

Int. Cl. E06b 3/54 US. Cl. 52-476 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for mounting a removable panel comprising a frame including a plurality of frame members forming the sides of the frame and connected together at the corners of the frame. Each frame member has a main body and a flange extending from the inner side of the main body to provide a supporting surface for a side edge of the panel. There is a slot in the main body of each frame member having opposite walls extending at an acute angle to and from its inner to its outer portion in direction away from supporting surface. Each of a plurality of bars equal in number to the frame members has opposite side walls slidably engageable with the side walls of the slot for insertion therein and another side wall extending at an acute angle to the opposite side walls for hearing on and urging the side edge of the panel against the supporting surface of the frame member.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for mounting removable panels; and, more particularly, to improved apparatus of this type including a frame on which a panel may be mounted and removable fasteners for holding the panel in such position.

Apparatus of this type may be useful, for example, in light fixtures or other equipment wherein panels must be removed for access to the interior of the fixture. Conventional fasteners such as screws for holding the panels in mounted position on the frame are objectionable from several standpoints. For one thing, they provide only point contact between the panel and the frame, so that a considerable number of them must be used to provide a continuous, weatherproof 'seal between the panel and frame. On the other hand, a large number of such fasteners increases the time and effort required to install and remove the panel.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus which overcomes these problems.

Another object is to provide such apparatus in which the panel is held on and sealed with respect to the frame with a minimum number of fasteners which 'are easily and quickly moved into and out of panel holding position with respect to the frame.

Still another object is to provide such apparatus for mounting two or more panels with their side edges adjacent to one another.

These and other objects are accomplished, in accordance with the illustrated embodiments of this invention, by apparatus comprising a frame made up of a plurality of frame members forming its side and connected together at its corners. Each such frame member comprises a main body and a flange extending from the inner side of the main body to provide a supporting surface for a side edge of the panel to be mounted on the frame, whereby there is a continuous supporting surface about the inner side of the frame. A slot in the main body of each frame member intersects at its outer portion with the inner side of the body at a location spaced from the supporting surface and has opposite side walls which extend at an acute angle to and from the inner to the outer portion of the slot in a direction away from the supporting surface.

When its sides edges are mounted on the supporting surfaces of the frame members, the panel is held on the frame member by a plurality of bars which are individually insertable into the slot in each frame member. Each such bar has opposite side walls which slidably engage the side walls of the slot, when inserted therein, and a third side wall extending at an acute angle to its opposite side walls for bearing on and urging the panel side edge against the supporting surface of the frame member.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention, each slot has a third wall on its outer portion which extends at an acute angle to the opposite side walls thereof, and the slot is sufiiciently deep to permit the third wall on the bar to move into the slot upon insertion of the bar. Also, each frame member has a slot to receive a bar on each of at least two of its sides. Thus, each frame member may be used in holding the adjacent side edges of two or more panels. In one embodiment, the slots are in opposite sides of the frame member for holding the adjacent side edges of panels in 'a single wall. In other embodiments, the slots are on adjacent sides of the frame members for holding the adjacent side edges of panels of intersecting walls.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters are designed by like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a light fixture having a housing with side and bottom walls made up of removable panels mounted with apparatus constructed in accordance with the illustrated embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the fixture housing, as seen along broken lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the housing, similar to FIG. 2, but with the lamps and reflectors removed from the interior thereof;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one panel in a side wall of the housing, as seen along broken lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a frame at an upper corner of the housing, and broken away from the remainder thereof;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the frame member forming both sides of the frame shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another frame member along an intermediate portion of a side wall of the housing; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of still another frame member along a lower corner of the housing.

With reference now to the details of the abovedescribed drawings, the light fixture shown in FIG. 1, and designated in its entirety by reference character 20, comprises a housing 21 mounted on the upper end of a mast 22 (shown in broken lines). The housing includes top and bottom walls 23 and 24, respectively, and vertical side walls 25 to 28 extending between the top and bottom walls. More particularly, the housing includes a skeleton framework defining individual openings each of which is closed by a panel in weather-tight fashion.

In the illustrated fixture, each side wall 25 to 2 8 has two side openings, one of which is closed by a panel 29 of metal or other nontransparent material, and the other of which-is closed by a panel 30 of glass or other transparent material to form a window. More particularly, and as best shown in FIG. 1, the panels 29 and 30 are alternately staggered on adjacent sides of the housing so that the windows in one pair of opposite side walls are at the upper portion of the housing and the windows in the other pair of opposite side walls are in the lower portion of the housing. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening in top wall 23 of the fixture housing is closed by a nontransparent panel 31, while the opening in bottom wall 24 of the housing is closed by a transparent panel 32 which also forms a window.

As shown in FIG. 2, a lamp 33 is mounted horizontally within each of the upper and lower portions of the housing so as to direct light through the windows on opposite sides thereof. More particularly, each lamp is supported by and extends between an electrical socket 34 on one nontransparent panel 29 and a non-electrical socket 35 on the opposite nontransparent panel. Reflectors 36 extend laterally across the top of the interior of each of the upper and lower portions of the housing, and a reflector 37 extends across the bottom of the upper portion thereof for reflecting the light from the lamps 33 through the windows on the sides and bottom of the fixture housing.

The skeleton framework of the housing is made up of individual frames formed of elongate frame members connected together at their ends at the top, bottom, and side edges of the housing as well as across an intermediate portion of the housing. More particularly, there are horizontal and vertical frame members 38 along the upper and side edges of the housing, horizontal frame members 39 along the lower edges of the housing, and horizontal frame members 40 across the intermediate portion of the housing.

Thus, the horizontal frame members 38 form a frame providing a top opening to receive panel 31, and the bottom frame members 39 form a frame providing a bottom opening for panel 32. The horizontal and vertical frame members 38 and the intermediate frame members 39 form four frames providing side openings to receive panels 29 and 30 in the upper portion of the housing. Similarly, the horizontal frame members 39, vertical frame members 38, and intermediate frame members 40 form four frames providing side openings to receive panels 29 and 30 in the lower portion of the housing.

More particularly, in their preferred embodiments, each of the frame members 38, 39 and 40 is adapted to support the side edge of a panel on two sides thereof, whereby each frame member provides part of a frame for two panels. Thus, for example, each of the horizontal frame members 38 supports a side edge of panel 31 of the top wall 23 and a panel 29 or 30 on one of the side walls to 28 of the upper portion of the housing, while each of the vertical frame members 38 supports the side edges of adjacent panels 29 or in each of the upper or lower portion of their housing. .Also, the frame members support the side edges of vertically adjacent panels 29 or 30 of the housing, and each of the frame members 39 supports a side edge of the panel 32 on the bottom 24 of the housing and a side panel 29 or 30 of one of the side walls of the lower portion of the housing.

As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the frame members 38 includes an elongate main body 41 which is substantially square in cross section. One side wall 42 of the body 41 faces inwardly with respect to the frame for one panel and an adjacent side wall 43 perpendicular to the wall 42 faces inwardly with respect to a frame for another panel which is adjacent and perpendicular to the one panel. A flange 44 extends from the side wall 42 at the intersection of the wall 42 and 43 to provide a supporting surface 46 for the side edge of such one panel, and a flange 45 extends from the side wall 43 at the intersection of the walls 42 and 43 to provide a supporting surface 47 for the side edge of the other panel.

More particularly, the opposite sides of each of the flanges are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the wall 42 or 43 from which it extends. Thus, the surface 46 of the flange 44 is parallel to and faces away from the side 43 of the main body, and the opposite side of such flange forms a planar continuation of the side 43. Similarly the surface 47 of the flange 45 is parallel to and faces away from the side 42 of the main body, and the opposite side of such flange forms a planar continuation of the side 42.

There are a pair of slots 48 extending longitudinally within the main body 41 of the frame member 38, one slot intersecting at its outer portion with the wall 42 and 4 the other slot intersecting at its outer portion with the side wall 43. The intersection of the outer portion of each slot is spaced from the supporting surface 46 or 47 on the flange extending from such side, thereby enabling the outer periphery of the side edge of the panel to abut with the adjacent side of the main body.

Each slot has a first side wall 50 which extends at an acute angle (about 10) to and from its inner portion to its outer portion in a direction away from the supporting surface. Each slot also includes a second side wall 51 on its inner portion which is parallel to the first side wall 50, and a third side wall 52 on its outer portion which forms a continuation of and extends at an acute angle with respect to the side Wall 51. More particularly, as illustrated in the drawings, the wall 52 extends at the same acute angle with respect to the wall 51 that the walls 50 and 51 extend with respect to said supporting surface so that the wall 52 is parallel thereto.

The main body 62 of each of the frame members 39 is also elongate, but rectangular in cross section, as best shown in FIG. 8. More particularly, there is a flange 63 on the inner long side wall 64 of the body, and another flange 65 on the adjacent inner short side wall 66 thereof which is perpendicular to the side wall 64. As in the case of the flanges 46 and 47 of the frame member 38, each of the flanges 63 and 65 has parallel sides which extends perpendicularly to the side wall of the body on which it is disposed, whereby the sides of flange 63 are parallel to body side 66 and the sides of flange 65 are parallel to body side 64.

Flange 63 of the frame member 39 extends from. a midportion of the side wall 64 so that its supporting surface 67 is in the same plane as the supporting surface on the adjacent flange of the adjacent frame member 38. Flange 65 extends from an outer corner of the body 62 so that its outer side forms a planar continuation of such side and the supporting surface 68 on its inner side faces inwardly of the housing and thus in the same direction as the side wall 64. Consequently, the panel 32- is moved into the supporting surfaces 68 of the frame forming the bottom opening of the housing from. the inside of the housing, rather than from the outside, as in the case of the panels 29 and 30. More particularly, and as will be apparent from FIG. 3, the panel 32 is not only smaller than the other panels 29 and 30, but also smaller than the openings through the frames for supporting the other panels, so that panel 32 may be moved through any such opening.

As in the case of the frame members 38, a pair of slots 48 extend longitudinally within the main body 62 of each frame member 39, one such slot intersecting at its outer portion with one side wall 64 and the other at its outer portion with the other side wall 66 of the body. More particularly, and as indicated in the drawings, each such slot 48 is of the same construction as the previously described slots in frame members 38 and has the same relationship to the supporting surface of the same side of the main body as do the slots in the main body of frame member 38 to the supporting surfaces thereon.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the elongate main body 70 of each of the intermediate frame members 40 is rectangular in cross section, similarly to the main body 62 of the frame member 39. However, in the frame member 40, flanges 71 and 72 are provided on the opposite inner short side walls 73 and 74, respectively, of the main body. More particularly, each such flange has parallel sides which extend perpendicularly from the side wall adjacent the inside corner thereof. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 7, the inner sides of the flanges 71 and 72 form smooth continuations of the inside wall of the main body 70, and the outer sides of such flanges provide supporting surfaces and 76 which. are in planar alignment with one another as well as. with the supporting surfaces on flanges of adjacent frame members 38 and 39.

As in the case of the frame members 38 and 39, there is a longitudinal slot 48 in each inner side wall of the main body of the frame member to receive a bar 55 for holding a side edge of a panel 29 or 30 on the supporting surfaces of a flange. However, since the inner side walls 73 and 74 of the body are aligned, rather than perpendicular, the slots 48 are also essentially in alignment with one another. More particularly, and as in the case of the frame members 39, each such slot 48 is of the same construction as the slots previously described in connection with frame members 38, and has the same relationship to the supporting surface on the same side of the main body as do the slots in the main body of the frame member 38 to the supporting surfaces thereon.

Each of the panels 29 and 30 has an outer periphery which fits closely within the inner sides of its frame so that its side edges are supported on the flanges of the frame members to fill the opening in the frame. When the panel is moved into supported position on the flanges of the frame members about the frame opening, it is held thereon by the insertion of a bar 55 into the slot in the side of the main body of the frame member. As indicated in FIG. 5, each such bar is of substantially the same length as the inner side of the frame in which the slot for receiving the bar is formed, so as to bear on substantially the entire length of the side edge of the panel.

Thus, each bar is relatively thin in cross section and has first and second walls 56 and 57 which are parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance substantially as great as the spacing between the first and second walls '50 and 51 of the slot, soas to be closely received therein as the inner portion of the bar is inserted into the inner portion of the slot. A third side wall 58 on the outer portion of the bar forms a continuation of the second wall 57 and extends at an acute angle with respect thereto so as to move relatively inwardly toward the side edge of the panel as the bar is inserted into the slot. More particularly, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown wherein the side edges of the panel are parallel, the wall 58 extends at the same acute angle with respect to the Wall 57 as the walls 50' and 51 of the slot extend with respect to the supporting surface.

Each slot is deeper than the walls 57 on the inner portion of the bar 55, so that, upon insertion of the bar, a portion of the wall 58 will move into the slot to insure that the wall 58- will engage over a maximum area of the outer side edge of the panel. However, as shown in the drawings, when the bar is fully inserted into the slot, its inner end is spaced from the inner end of the slot and its wall is spaced from the wall 52 of the slot to allow for tolerance in fitting the bar to the panel.

There is a flange 62 along the outer portion of the wall 56 of each bar 55 to facilitate withdrawal of the bar when the panel it holds is to be removed. As shown, when the bar is fully inserted, the side of the flange 62. facing the side of the frame member on which the panel edge is supported is spaced from such side a distance to accommodate a suitable tool. Also, in the interest of appearance, the outer face of the flange is substantially coplanar with the adjacent outer side of the frame member.

As indicated in FIG. 5, the bars 55 insertable into the slots in one pair of opposite sides of each frame are at least approximately the same length as such side, while the bars fittable into the slots in the other pair of opposite sides are shorter than the length of such sides by an amount not substantially more than the extent to which the bars insertable into the slots of the first mentioned pair of sides extended from such slots.

As shown in FIG. 3, the panel 31 is fixedly mounted in the frame forming the opening of the top wall of the fixture. Thus, its edges are inserted into the slots 48 on the inner sides of the frame during connection of the ends of the frame members to form such frame upon assembly of the housing.

Each panel 30 as well as panel 32 includes a panel 53 of glass having a rubber gasket about its periphery, and each of the nontransparent panels 29 includes a flat 6 backing sheet 59 having ribs 60 extending perpendicularly from the outer side thereof and a flat gasket 61 about the edges on its outer side. Thus, with either panel supported on a frame, the bars force its gasket against the supporting surfaces about the inner sides of the frame to form a weatherproof seal therewith.

As shown in FIG. 3, with the flanges 45 of the horizontal frame members 38 disposed vertically to support the upper side edges of the frame members 29 and 30, flanges 44 on such members extend inwardly into the housing interior. Also, a flange 77 extends perpendicularly from the inside wall of each frame member 40 so as to also extend into the interior of the housing. More partic ularly in the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, flange 77 extends from the upper inside corner of the main body 70. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, these flanges are useful in supporting the reflectors 36 and 37, although they obviously may have other functions in connection with parts within the housing.

In other respects, the interior of the housing is smooth, with the inner sides 42 of the frame members 48, as well as the inner sides of the flanges 45, the inside wall of the frame member 40, as well as the inner sides of the flanges 71 and 72, and the inner sides of the flanges 63 of frame members 39 being vertically aligned with one another. As will be apparent from FIG. 3, the outer walls of the framework are also smooth, with the upper walls of the horizontal frame members 38 lying in the same plane, and the lower walls of the frame members 39 also lying in the same plane. The outer vertical walls of the frame members 38 and the frame members 39, as well as the outside wall of the frame member 40, are also vertically aligned, as are the outer faces of the flanges 62 on the bars 55 when the latter are fully inserted into the slots 48.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed with reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed 1s:

1. Apparatus for use in mounting a removable panel, comprising an elongate frame member having a main body and a flange extending from one side of the main body to provide a supporting surface, a slot in the main body intersecting at its outer portion with the one side of the main body at a location spaced from the supporting surface, said slot having a first side wall extending at an acute angle to and from its inner to its outer portion in a direction away from said supporting surface, and a second side wall opposite and parallel to the inner portion of the first side wall, and a bar insertable into the slot and having first and second parallel side walls on its inner portion for slidably engaging the first and second walls, respectively, of said slot, and a third side wall on its outer portion extending at an acute angle to said second Wall so that said outer portion is flared outwardly from said inner portion and said third wall is substantially parallel to said supporting surface as said inner portion of the bar moves into the inner portion of the slot, said slot being deeper than the inner portion of said bar and having a third side wall opposite the outer portion of its first side wall extending at an acute angle to its second wall to provide an outer portion which flares outwardly to permit said outwardly flared outer portion of said bar to move into said slot upon insertion of said bar.

2. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the outer portion of the bar. has a flange on the same side thereof as said first side wall of the bar, the side of said flange facing the one side of the main body of the frame being spaced therefrom when the bar is fully inserted into the slot.

3. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the bar has a fourth wall on its outer portion parallel to and forming a continuation of the first wall thereof.

4. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the supporting surface and one side of the main body are perpendicular to one another.

5. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1 wherein the third wall of the bar is parallel to the third wall of the slot when the bar is inserted into the slot.

6. Apparatus for use in mounting a removable panel, comprising an elongate frame member having a main body and a flange extending from each of two sides of the body to provide a supporting surface on each said side, a pair of slots in the body each intersecting at its outer portion with one of said sides of the body at a location spaced from the supporting surface on said one side, each slot having a first side Wall extending at an acute angle to and from its inner to its outer end in a direction away from the supporting surface on said one side of the body, and a second side wall opposite and parallel to the inner portion of the first side wall, and a pair of bars each being insertable into a slot and having first and second parallel side walls on its inner portion for slidably engaging the first and second walls, respectively, of the slot into which the bar is inserted, and a third side wall on its outer portion extending at an acute angle to said second Wall so that said outer portion is flared outwardly from said inner portion and said third wall is substantially parallel to said supporting surface on said one side of the main body as said inner portion of the bar moves into the inner portion of the slot, said slot being deeper than the inner portion of said bar and having a third side wall opposite the outer portion of its first side wall extending at an acute angle to its second wall to provide an outer portion which flares outwardly to permit said outwardly flared portion of said bar to move into said slot upon insertion of said bar.

7. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 6, wherein each of said flanges extend from opposite sides of the main body of the frame.

8. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 7, wherein each said supporting surface faces in the same direction.

9. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 6, wherein each of said flanges extends from adjacent sides of the main body of the frame.

10. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 9, wherein the supporting surface on each adjacent side of the body faces toward the other adjacent side thereof.

11. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 9, wherein the supporting surface on each adjacent side of the body faces away from the adjacent side of the body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,719 7/1931 Lane 52476X 1,919,311 7/1933 Triller 52--476X 2,550,300 4/ 1951 Schunk 52--476X 2,848,762 8/1958 Peterson 52476X 3,169,281 2/ 1965 Clements, Jr. 52476 3,254,461 6/ 1966 White et al. 52476X 3,302,354 2/1967 Merinell 52476 3,477,182 11/1969 Fulton 5228 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner US. 01. X.R. 52 49s; 49-466 

